You can make it to the fork in the river in less than 2 hours if you move quickly. If you want to be leisurely maybe give yourself 3.
When we went there was a number of hornets flying all over the place and at least one nest was visible (Nov 1st, 2020)
River tracing boots, but beyond that nothing special for this one.
This is a fairly easy and enjoyable trace. There are a lot of pools around the first half of it that were great to swim in, and you will encounter plenty of small waterfalls along the way. There are a couple of waterfalls you may have difficulty climbing if climbing isn't your thing however there is always a way to avoid them if you want to continue on. This includes the large waterfall where you can see the highway, you can climb out and around cross the road and get back in for a bit.